Visions from a Mixed Media Desk

Wednesday, April 18, 2012

Ok. I admit it. I believe in my "old age" I have taken on a new persona. I have turned weird! I am no longer the conservative I used to be. I used to have to have everything match. Really match. Like the tablecloth had to match the walls - had to match the dish towels - had to match the canisters, etc. You get the idea.

I have changed. I don't care as much about matching anymore, but if I do, it is still in my kitchen. However, the rest of my old, old house has taken on what my husband and I used to jokingly call "the weird house". We had this idea that we would build a section of our barn into a place where all things strange and magnificent would go. This would include every odd thing we find in our ventures to antique stores and weird places we find on our motorcycle trips. However, we both know we aren't going to build the "weird house", so our real house is slowly turning into the actual weird house.

I have to admit - I love it. I love making my children look at something and say "What the hell is that??" Better still, I love to make something odd and strangely creative and have my husband say "Um, that's cool. What is it?"

Enter the Elephant. Of course, I was cruising Pinterest the other day when I happened upon a most unusual thing - a llama pincushion. This is a plastic toy that was altered into a sort-of pincushion. Now, why that would appeal to me, I have no way of knowing. Like I said, I have changed.

So, I had to rush out to the dollar store and buy a plastic animal. Couldn't find a llama, so the elephant came home with me (along with a dinosaur or two). One night while I was working away on the elephant, my daughter called me and said "What are you doing". I said, "I'm painting an elephant." She said, "Of course you are." She meant it.

The elephant is finished. My husband, of course, has no idea why I would make such a thing. Neither do I, really...

Thursday, April 12, 2012

The first online class I taught over the winter is over now, but believe it or not, I've been asked to do another one for Joggles! I even got paid for it!

This time, I will be making some gorgeous button bracelets. The bracelets are made with vintage (and maybe not-so-vintage) buttons attached to a bracelet chain with jump rings. This class doesn't start until the end of July, so I have plenty of time to perfect my style and process.

If you look at my photostream, you will see that I have something of an obsession with turning buttons into something other than a fastener!

Monday, February 27, 2012

Today I shipped off the first lesson of my online class, "Fabulous Felt Beaded Bracelets", for Joggles. Here is the link to the classes they offer (including mine): http://www.joggles.com/onlineclasses.htm

This is yet another thing that I am doing that I haven't done before, and I again have this mixed feeling about loving the way I've been stretching my boundaries, but wanting to stay safe. I realize that this may not seem unsafe to most people, but fear of rejection is a constant in my life. I imagine that absolutely no one will sign up for this class :)

But, off I go in this new direction, and I have already been asked to do another online class for Barb at Joggles - the new one will be how to make button bracelets. More fun work to do in the next several weeks! Looking forward to it - with my usual reservation...

Holy cow! I'm just branching out all over the place - thinking that it won't be long before I sprout leaves!

My excursion to Houston to teach at Make it University! at the International Quilt Festival was really something! I am home, and now have the experience of teaching people who actually pay to hear what I have to say. Amazing!

The Quilt Festival was fun, and I have to admit that the vendors were my favorite part. Sure, there were some completely amazing quilts on display, but I was delightedly overwhelmed by the rows and rows of vendors, selling everything from foot massages to sewing machines and buttons. It was truly amazing, and I spent more money than I meant to - but what a blast!

Teaching was really great. I was terrified, but Pokey Bolton and Lindsey Murray (from Quilting Arts, etc.) made it fun and easy for this first-timer. Seeing my name on a board with some really well-known artists was a thrill, having my name in the program was great, and teaching eager students was marvelous!

Now I have to go about the business of dreaming up a new project so I can do it all over again next time!